* A little about our speaker: Jill Clapperton is the Principal Scientist, Co-founder and owner of Rhizoterra Inc. and a well-known international lecturer and advocate for practices that promote soil health. Founded in April 2011 by Jill Clapperton and Fred Fleming, Rhizoterra Inc. believes that soil health is the foundation of agriculture. They work to demonstrate and promote the link between healthy soils and the production of nutrient dense food. Their strategies include whole system planning for crop, livestock, and/or integrated crop and livestock systems.

** The district complies with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and does not discriminate. Anyone needing special accommodations for this event is to contact the District 72 hours in advance at 541-565-3216 x 3.

OSP Fish and Wildlife Troopers will be conducting saturation patrols on Oregon’s “winter ranges” to protect deer and elk from illegal activity and poachers. These areas are vital to deer and elk in order to avoid heavy snowfall, have access to food sources and rear their offspring.

Not only will there be patrols on the ground, OSP F&W aircraft will be flying daytime and nighttime missions over these areas. Troopers will be searching for those violating road closures and “spotlighters”.

Saturation patrols will occur in the White River Wildlife Area, Silver Lake Unit, Fort Rock Unit, Paulina Unit and Metolius Unit. These units are home to thousands of wintering deer and elk.

4. The Art of the Brick, an Exhibition of Works of Art Made from the LEGO Brick

PORTLAND, Ore. (January 17, 2017) — THE ART OF THE BRICK, a captivating exhibition of intriguing works of art made exclusively from one of the most recognizable toys in the world, the LEGO(R) brick, opens at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) on February 18. The critically acclaimed collection of creative and inspiring pieces constructed using only LEGO bricks is created by renowned contemporary artist Nathan Sawaya.
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THE ART OF THE BRICK is the world’s largest and most elaborate display of LEGO art, featuring more than 100 works of art. This exhibition has toured the globe, breaking records and becoming both an art and pop culture phenomenon along the way.
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The collection features Sawaya’s notable original pieces, as well as re-imagined versions of some of the world’s most famous art masterpieces such as Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. The exhibition concludes with a spectacular and innovative, multimedia collection of LEGO brick infused hyper-realistic photography produced in collaboration with award-winning photographer Dean West. Visitors will have the opportunity to get an up-close view of the iconic, Yellow, a life-size sculpture of a man ripping his chest open with thousands of yellow LEGO bricks cascading from the cavity. In addition, visitors will come face-to-face with a 20-foot-long T-Rex dinosaur skeleton made out of bricks. Inspired by his origins, Sawaya will also create and display a brand-new Portland-themed piece especially for the exhibition at OMSI.
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Sawaya’s creations comprise the first major museum exhibition to use LEGO bricks as the sole art medium. Raised in Veneta, Oregon, Sawaya transforms the popular plastic construction toy into amazing showcases of creativity, innovation, and fine art.
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“I’m really looking forward to bringing this collection of art to Oregon for the first time. It’s where this incredible journey with LEGO began. I use LEGO bricks as my medium because I enjoy seeing people’s reactions to artwork created from something with which they are familiar,” says Sawaya. “Everyone can relate to it since it is a toy that many children have at home. I want to elevate this simple plaything to a place it has never been before.”
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In THE ART OF THE BRICK, visitors will have the opportunity to try their own hand at LEGO brick ingenuity. OMSI has created a 1,500 square-foot “free-build” LEGO and DUPLO(R) play area for all ages. The play area will feature a variety of engineering, design, math, architecture, physics, and biology challenges, as well as helpful tips for young builders just getting started.
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“This exhibition is one that opens the door to a variety of complex topics through a simple toy most of us played with as children,” said Nancy Stueber, OMSI president and CEO. “It shows that art and science are very much linked together, and this exhibit is a fun and whimsical way to make both accessible to audiences of all ages.”
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THE ART OF THE BRICK runs from February 18, 2017-May 29, 2017. Tickets to this exhibit, which include general museum admission, are $19.75 for adults, $13.50 for youth (ages 3-13), and $15.00 for seniors (ages 63+). Prices for OMSI Members are $6.00 for adults, $4.00 for youth, and $5.00 for seniors.
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First Tech Credit Union is the major sponsor of THE ART OF THE BRICK at OMSI. For more information, visit www.omsi.edu. For more information on Nathan Sawaya and the history of THE ART OF THE BRICK, visit www.brickartist.com.

5. Setting the Path to Your Future

Since the beginning of the year, we have encouraged you to examine the way you look at the world, and make some decisions about how you want to be. So, let’s continue the discussion with a little goal-setting to see us through uncertain times.

If you have decided that your locus of control comes from within you (and we hope you have), then you know you have the power to change your life. You do not need to be battered by the “storm” of bad news coming your way.

If you have decided that you want to believe the future is one of great possibilities, then you know you have given yourself the freedom to choose a path for yourself.

If you have decided that you would really prefer to be an optimist, then you are ready to take each situation as it comes, confident in the knowledge that life will improve, that setbacks are only temporary, and you want a happy, fulfilled life.

If you have chosen to take personal accountability, then you are ready to look the world in the eye and say, “These are my decisions and I stand by them. I am ready to take the consequences for my actions and decisions.”

So, what comes next? Figure out where you are, so that you understand Current Reality. Decide where you want to be, with a powerful Vision that includes Technicolor and 3-D visuals and earthshaking SurroundSound. Give yourself an irresistible picture that draws you! Then start setting goals to get you to your Vision. Break down the path to your Vision into smaller goals, ones that you can see without causing you to back off from your ultimate Goal. Focus on what you want, and shut out the distractions that cause you to lose your focus. If your purpose is just, achievement is within your grasp.

And one more piece: Keep your self-talk – that constant stream of conversation you have with yourself – positive and reinforcing. Your self-talk will keep the pictures you have of your future front and center in your mind. The great part about all of this is that it works not only for individuals, but for teams, departments, organizations, countries, and the entire world. ~ The Pacific Institute